


Beautiful Thing

by CertainUncertainty



Category: GOT7
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-09-05 09:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16807549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CertainUncertainty/pseuds/CertainUncertainty
Summary: GOT7 is promoting SeoulMate by wearing their device and going to "search" for their soulmate. While their devices are active, they're not allowed to actually contact their soulmate. That is, until Jackson pairs with you.





	1. Nobody Has Somebody

You didn't know what you were expecting when you opened the door, but it wasn't him. Three years of silence, absence, and suddenly there he stood in front of you with a big dopey grin. Were you supposed to smile and say, "Hey dad! There you are! Haven't seen you in years but it's good to know you're still alive and kicking?"

Yeah, no. So you stood there staring at him. Speechless.

"You're just gonna stand there? It's getting cold out, girl. Let me in." His smile faltered enough to jar you out of the stupor "holy shit my dad's still alive" to move over. He pushed past you, thrusting his suitcase into your hands. "Don't mess that up. It's a hundred dollar bag."

You fought not to roll your eyes and closed the door behind him. "I won't."

"Where's my son?" He called out, arms open as if someone was supposed to run into his arms. He obviously didn't know just how long he'd been gone. Aubrey wasn't in elementary any more. Hell, he was the tallest in the house now.

As if on cue, Aubrey came down the hallway at a glacier's pace. "Dad?"

Dad's shoulders stiffened at the lack of familiarity in Aubrey's tone. For a moment, you were scared something bad might happen, but he laughed throwing you and Aubrey off guard. Well, he at least had a sense of humor. "You act like you don't know me."

 _'We don't.'_ You shook your head and left the two alone. Mama was in the kitchen on the phone with her sister, judging by the hushed, angry whispers. "Ma," you said tapping her shoulder.

She looked over her shoulder, curly hair bouncing with the motion. She pulled her phone away from her face and whispered, "Shit, is he here already?"

You nodded, picking up a french fry from the batch that was cooling from a dip in the fryer. “I didn’t think he was actually coming. He only cares about Aubrey, though."

She smacked her lips. "Sorry ass-" She put the phone back to her ear. "Listen, Letty, lemme call you back. Yeah, he's here. Whatever, if you don't hear from me by midnight, I need you to come bail me out. Don't act like you don't know why. Bye." Mama stuffed the phone into her pocket and turned to you. Her eyes, normally bright with excitement and energy, were droopy and sad. "I thought you were gonna hang out over Tori's for the weekend?"

You looked away, embarrassed. "Her boyfriend popped in, so there was a change in plans. I can stay next weekend. Tuesday at the earliest."

Her hands came to your shoulders, and you saw the mild panic in her eyes. "What about Kesha?"

"Her roommate is having a fit about her having too many friends staying over."

"Latasha?"

"Death in the family."

"Is there anyone-"

"Mama," you dropped your voice to a whisper, "It's okay. I'll be okay. It's just a couple of days."

She bit her bottom lip and pulled you in for a hug, smothering you with lavender. “_____, you don't have to deal with this. As soon as your dad has whatever he wants, he'll be gone." She guided your head to her shoulder and gave you long, loving pats. "If he so much as look at you messed up, just walk out, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." You nodded, and she pulled back to look at you. Her shoulders dropped, and she nodded to herself, letting her arms drop.

"Alright, then. Help me set the table so we can get dinner out the way. The sooner, the better." And just like that, the little bubble she'd kept you in popped. You both worked quietly, her placing cups and silverware as you worked with plates and napkins. Then you placed the food and a pitcher of homemade juice. She ushered you to a chair and pulled off her apron. "I'll go get them."

She stepped out of the kitchen, and you dug your phone out of your pocket, checking for any messages. Kesha and Tori both regretted the circumstances but offered to take you in if an emergency came up. You bit back a sigh of relief. It was good to know that you’d have someone to run to if this went badly.

"-I'm telling you, JoAnn. The boy's got potential." Dad came around the corner with Mama and Aubrey trailing behind him with pitiful looks on their faces.

"And I'm telling you, Jermond. If he doesn't want to get into football, he doesn't have to." She took a seat on the side of you. You nearly cried out with relief when Aubrey pointedly sat in the chair opposite of you, all but snatching it from Dad.

Luckily, he was too absorbed in the discussion to comment on it. “He can’t just sit around and waste away! He needs to be out there on the field. He could get an athletic scholarship. You’re always going on about how important college is — let him play ball.”

“I don’t have to ‘let’ him play anything. He’ll pursue it if he wants to.” She rolled her eyes and stuck her chin out. Aubrey silently pushed a plate of fish towards you, and you put a couple of pieces on your plate.

 _‘Thank you,’_ You mouthed, and he nodded. Even though he was taller and acted more mature than you did, he was your baby brother. His desire to protect you never went unnoticed. He pushed the plate toward Mama and Dad. The plate caught on the wooden edge of the table, getting their attention.

Mama pushed the ugliest piece of fish onto Dad’s plate and gave herself three. Dad’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “Why do I only get one piece?”

“Because when I went grocery shopping last week, I didn’t think your bum ass was gonna stop by. Therefore, I didn’t account for a full serving for you. You’re lucky I cook a little bit extra just in case.” She reached for the fries and gave him one handful. “I was tempted not to feed you at all, but I realized that’s too petty, even for me.”

“This is the smallest piece! It’s all burnt and missing most of the breading!” He whined, stabbing his food with a fork.

Mama snatched up the plate. “If you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it. In fact, there are tons of fine restaurants all over Dallas. Pick one! Any of them. _Leave._ No one will be hurt should you decide to go find a better meal.”

He scoffed and put the fork down. “When are you gonna get over me?”

She blinked a few times and angled her head towards him. “I beg your fucking pardon?”

“Mama, no-” Aubrey reached across the table, but she pushed his hand away.

“Get over you? I was over you when you walked out. I was over you when I had Aubrey, and you were nowhere to be found. I was over you when you sent the divorce papers. In all the years you’ve been gone, I haven’t thought once about us or the hell we called a marriage.”

When she paused to take a breath, you leaned over and hugged her. “Mama, let it go. The food looks great. Can we eat?”

As usual, the compliment stole her attention. “It does?”

You nodded and let go. “It smells delicious! Work was crazy, so I didn’t get to take a full break and eat.”

She beamed and gave you the extra fish on her plate. “Here then, you need more food.”

“She gets more, and I don’t?” Dad continued whining. You often wondered just how she ended up with him. You figured everyone has questionable moments. "She doesn't do anything worth needing to eat anyway."

Suddenly, you were hyperaware of how still Mama and Aubrey were. You knew they were watching you, waiting to see how you’d react. It was okay. You weren't a little girl anymore. Aubrey only had stories to go by. Mama was always overprotective of you. This was just one dinner. One weekend out of eighteen years since their divorce. You could deal.

You started eating without glancing in Dad's direction. After a moment of tense silence, they began eating too.

Dad grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like bitch, but no one paid him any attention. So he seized the opportunity you figured he'd been waiting for since he laid eyes on you. "So, _____. How's life going for you?"

You swallowed your fish with difficulty. You didn't want to, but you looked him in the eyes. "It's going. Juggling college and work." You shrugged, hoping he'd leave it at that. Then again, you should have known better.

"What's your major? How are your grades? Your mama didn't seem to want to talk about you over the phone any time I called." He chewed his food with his mouth open. Just who raised him? You could understand why Mama kept you and Aubrey away from his side of the family.

You took a sip of your drink then cleared your throat. "General Studies. I have a 2.0 right now.“ I lifted my head, proud of myself. "Last semester."

“General Studies?” He let out a forced laughed that was as fake as his hairline. “A 2.0? What you couldn't pick something specific to study? Just gonna throw your marbles and see where they land? And then not even be good at it?“

Your face grew hot. "General Studies is a great starting point. Once I find something I really like, I can go for it with a headstart."

"General Studies is for airheads who go to college because their parents told them to." He huffed, pushing his plate away. "If you're gonna have my last name, girl, you gotta do something worth something. Be somebody. That's nothing to be proud of."

Under the table, Mama's hand touched your arm. She opened her mouth to speak, but you cut her off. "Oh, because leaving a woman to raise your kids on her own is something to be proud of. I guess I should go get pregnant to keep up the family tradition of greatness. Go team." You brought up your fist, just barely restraining yourself from giving him the finger.

His eyes widened. Maybe he thought you were the same meek little girl who just took his insults quietly. Like you hadn't spent the past years he was a ghost in the wind thinking of all the things you could have said, should have said back during his drunken tirades. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, but I'm gonna sit here and let you shit on me. I'm not the same person you abandoned when it suited you." You stuffed a piece of the warm breaded fish in your mouth.

"Oh, I get it." He sat back in his chair and looked at Mama. "You did this."

"What?" Mama sat back, dropping her fork onto her plate with a frown. "You dip out, and I get blamed for it?"

"You raised this little ball of hate." He crossed his arms. "I knew I should have taken them with me. You can't do shit on your own."

You’d never seen Mama's eyebrows rise up that far. "My fucking god. What bar did you sleep in before you came here? Because you can't be anything short of drunk to let that shit come out your mouth."

"Look at you. Cussing in front of them. No tact. No class." He shook his head then looked back at you. "And you? Worthless. General Studies doesn't mean shit. Pick something to focus on."

"You got some damn nerve-" Mama pushed away from the table and stood up, pointing at the door. "Get the fuck out."

"Where the hell am I gonna go? You should I could stay here." He looked up at her, honestly confused.

"Sleep in your damn car. It's a rental. I'm sure the heat works. Get the fuck out now, Jermond. Before I call the fucking cops."

"I'm not sleeping in no car, JoAnn. Come off that shit." Dad shook his head. Aubrey stood up. His fists were balled up at his sides, and his lips were set in a deep frown. _‘Oh, shit.’_ Dad popped up out of his chair like a daisy and faced Aubrey. "Oh, what? You got something to say, too?"

Without thinking, you stood up and reached for Aubrey's hand. You didn't think about how it'd seem to Dad, so you were shocked when he swung. Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

It was cold enough to give you goosebumps. The sun peeked over the tops of the trees revealing little drops of dew on the grass below the balcony. You sat in a patio chair and pulled up another to prop your feet on. Birds chirped, welcoming the warmth of the sun. Cars honked in the distance as Friday morning rush hour began.

You adjusted the notebook on your lap, adjusting your arm so you could write comfortably. With a deep breath, you wrote the first word. Soon, more came and before you were aware of it, you’d filled the page and needed to turn over to a clean sheet. This was your escape. When the world seemed to close in on you, drowning you in sorrows and regrets, you’d write poetry. You’d turn the ugliness inside into something tangible. It was a way to cleanse your heart of the heavy stuff. A way to keep going.

After last night, you needed to write. You hated that episodes like that weren't rare. Dad would leave, drop off the face of the earth for years at a time. He only came around when he couldn't make child support payments. When he wanted to find a reason to deem Mama unfit to care for Aubrey. That's it.

Caring about what you did with your lives was bullshit. Caring about you being worth anything was bullshit. You hated his lies. You hated him. You hated yourself for being hurt by his words. He wasn't shit. You knew that. So why did you cry when no one was around? Why did it hurt to hear him think so little of you? Years and you still cried.

And, of course, the questions. Why did he have to be your dad? What did Mama ever see in him? Why did he bother with you all? You’d heard the stories. Men fathering kids, running off, and never be seen again. Men who never paid child support. Maybe you should’ve been grateful he did try to keep up with his payments. It's how you three could afford a three-bedroom apartment in Dallas. But, still.

Your poem ended with a question, too. _‘What am I living for?’_

Truth be told, since graduating from high school, you were never hit with a lightbulb moment that led you to that thing you wanted to do with your life. You had an interest in many things, but nothing you could see yourself doing for money. For a career. Nothing seemed like it was good enough. Something you could be proud of if someone asked.

General Studies seemed like a good idea at the time...

You exhaled hard, pressing the heels of your palms to your eyes. You wouldn't cry again. You talked big shit to your dad. You said the things you’d wanted to say since they divorced. You don't need his approval. You don't need anyone's approval. You don't need anyone.

Yet, the tears still flowed.

Why couldn't you be like Mama? She doesn't need anybody. She's tough, proud, and ambitious. She's fine with being alone.

 _‘Why am I like this?’_ you thought miserably.

The patio door slid open. Mama poked her head out, "You're up early. I thought you'd be in bed."

You blinked rapidly in some attempt to dry your eyes before you looked at her. "No. I felt like writing."

Her gaze lingered on your face for a bit longer than necessary, and she disappeared behind the blinds. You looked back at your notebook, annoyed to see tear stains on the page. Again. One day, you’ll write something that doesn't make you cry. Dishes clinked and clanked as Mama moved around in the kitchen. You caught her mumbling to herself and, for a brief moment, wondered if you’d pissed her off, too.

You were in the middle of a new poem when she came outside. "You looked like you needed this." She set a cup of tea in front of you as she placed her own cup down in front of an empty chair.

"Thanks, Mama." You took a second to admire the steam that rose from the smooth pink porcelain cup before blowing it away. "I did."

She hummed and pulled a rectangular white box from under her arm. She placed it on the table between you. SEOULMATE. Mama picked up her cup with care and blew on it, stirring her drink with a small spoon. "Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah." You nodded as you eyed the box. "There's all sorts of reviews on it on YouTube. A wrist device that helps you locate and contact your soulmate." The pieces clicked, and you frowned. “You want me to find my soulmate?”

She nodded and put her cup down. “_____, baby. I always regretted the shit you went through when I was with your dad. I thought that the divorce would protect you from him, but I was wrong." Her hand covered one of yours and squeezed it. "If I'da known he was gonna come back, I woulda - I'm sorry." Her eyes got watery as her voice became thick. "I feel like I could do more to protect you, but I just don't know how without going to jail.”

You squeezed her hand back, touched. She rarely cried in front of you or Aubrey. “Mama, don’t. You’re doing everything you can. And I appreciate and love you for it.”

Mama wiped her eyes. “I thought this might make up for the shit storm of parenting we’re doing. I planned to give it to you later, but after last night, I thought you could use a positive distraction.” She pushed the box towards you. “So take it. Go find your person.”

“And then what?” You looked at her. “I don’t wanna leave you to deal with him on your own.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. “I can deal with him just fine. Besides, I have Aubrey as backup. But you,” she stood up and came around the table to take your face in her hands, “you need a break. I know school’s tough. You didn’t say anything, but I could tell his words cut you.” She kissed your forehead and let go. “I’ll keep telling you until I turn blue in the face, but baby you gotta do what makes you happy. You! Do you remember how many times I asked if you were sure about college? About taking general studies?”

“Yes, Ma.” You nodded, a small smile curving your lips. “You were relentless.”

“You know why? Because I had a feeling your heart wasn’t in it. You were just going to be going. So I let you be. But now,” she leaned down and hugged you, “I’m begging you to be nicer to yourself. If you can’t pass the class, it’s okay. If you need to take it again, it’s okay.”

“Mama, I can’t afford another semester. I have to pass. It’s now or never for me.” You looked up at her.

“We’ll figure out a way to pay for another semester. Don’t sacrifice your mind and soul for this, _____. Please?” She picked up the box and put it in your hands. “Give yourself a break and meet someone new. Your life story could use a nice little subplot.”

You laughed out loud as she patted your on the head then danced back inside, closing the door behind her. You stared at the box for a while. The chill in the air had disappeared, and the sun hung above the trees. A brown baby bird landed on the rail of the balcony and chirped before taking off to join other little birds like it. Okay. You could at least humor Mama. You opened the box with care, breaking the sticker seal. Inside sat a simple smartwatch with a smooth black surface and white leather straps. It matched a bracelet you’d gotten from Wish, so that was a plus.

The face was cold to the touch. You glanced over the instructions and turned it on. Setting it up was easy. All it asked you to do was install the app and put the watch on. It paired after the second attempt then vibrated as it did its scan. You held your breath as an hourglass appeared on its face, turning upside down every minute while it searched the database for your soulmate.

Your soulmate. What if you didn’t have one? What if you did?

DING!

With a little fanfare and pixelated confetti, the SeoulMate vibrated and displayed a message: MATCH FOUND.

Butterflies bloomed in your stomach. You had someone. You jumped up from your chair and ran inside. Mama was at the stove cooking eggs and bacon, head bent to the side as she chattered away. “Mama!”

She turned to face you, with a frown that gave way to hope. “Do you have a match?”

“Yes!” You screamed. She pulled her phone away from her ear and screamed, long and loud, before jumping around with glee.

“I knew it!” She wiggled her hips then hopped over to hug you. “Okay, you gotta let them know you exist. They have to be worried that they didn’t have a soulmate. Go, go!” She shooed you out the kitchen. You cut around the corner and headed down the hallway to your room.

“What’s all the screaming about?” Aubrey poked his head out of his door. You flashed your SeoulMate at him.

“I have somebody!” you squealed. You closed your door behind you and dived onto your bed, pushing teddybears and plushies out of the way. With your phone in your hands, you closed your eyes and thought of what you should say. Should you play it cool? But what if it seems like you’re not interested? Okay, then you should show your excitement with lots of emojis. Ugh, but then it may look like you’re _too_ excited. Shit.

Fuck it. Just go for it. An awkward introduction is better than none at all.

You opened the message center, the direct line between you and this mystery person. You exhaled and typed up the first thing that came to mind.

What the hell were you thinking? You buried your face into your comforter, hoping to be suffocated. You expected a message back with something disgusted or snarky along the lines of “lame” or “try again,” but you got nothing. Okay. Well, it was early. He - this Jackson guy - could be at work. Maybe he didn’t get the notification. If he was on the other side of the world, maybe he was asleep. Patience. You had to be patient and just give him some time.

You could do that.

You couldn’t do it.

By midnight, your nerves had eaten your pride and soul. Mama tried to calm you down. She’d even temporarily convinced you that maybe he needed time to come to terms with it. There was no telling how long he’d had his SM believing that he didn’t have someone. Or, if he’d returned his device, it took a week for the company to mail a letter to the person if they didn’t ask to be notified by text or email.

But then Saturday came and went.

Sunday.

Monday.

Tuesday.

One week.

Two weeks.

It had been a particularly trying day of work when you came home and crashed on your bed. You didn’t feel like taking a shower and reheating your dinner despite feeling icky and your stomach growling. You wanted to throw your SeoulMate out the window. After breaking down and calling customer support to check if your match was an error, you learned that this Jackson prick was actively wearing his device. So he was ignoring you. And that hurt.

He didn’t have a profile picture, so you didn’t even know what this guy looked like. But his face didn’t want to see your face. You bit your lip hard, willing your tears to go away. It was okay. He wasn’t the first guy to want nothing to do with you. This was more for Mama’s sake than yours anyway. You pulled your phone out and opened the SM app. You winced at the previous unanswered message then typed out a new one. A final one.

By the time you’d sent the last message, tears were falling again. As much as you wanted to pretend you were strong and unfazed by the passive rejection, you just didn’t have the strength. You rolled over onto your side, tucked your hands between your knees, and let yourself cry. You cried until the walls of your room melted away and sleep claimed you.

Hours later, you woke up to your phone buzzing with a notification. You pressed the power button, illuminating the screen to display the time. It was only five. The sun hadn’t even begun to rise. Still half asleep, you checked your text messages. Nothing. You opened FB, Instagram, and Twitter. Nothing. Then what the hell-

DING!

You nearly dropped your phone as an alert from the SeoulMate app appeared below the status bar. You had a message from Jackson the Jerk. _‘Oh, fuck.’_ Did you piss him off? Good. He deserved it. Maybe he was ranting. You were feeling petty, up for a nice argument. You opened the app and loaded the messages, but you weren’t prepared for what you found.


	2. A Puppy's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the feedback on part one! 💚I played the hell out of "A Little More" by Alessia Cara for this part if you find yourself wondering where all the cheese came from.

* * *

Jackson stared at the bright screen. It glowed like a beacon in the darkness of the hotel room, exposing him for what he’d just done. Two words. That’s all he’d sent. Two words too many. Two words too few. The fear of losing her, the person he wanted to meet more than anyone else in the world, had pushed him to violate the terms of the contract.

Shit.

But he owed her an explanation. He'd been reading all of her messages, selfishly delighting in her attempts to reach out to him because it showed that she cared. That she really wanted to talk to him. That she really cared about him and who he was and what he did. He didn't think about what the silence on his end would do to her. If it hurt. He worried that if she knew who he was and what he did, that would change her view of him. He wanted her honest reaction to his true self and not the fame. He worried that she would be scared off, unwilling to deal with the fans, both good and bad. That she'd only see him for his status and money.

Yet, here in the middle of the night, she'd shown him the crack in her heart. The guilt of it ate him alive, pushed his fingers to tap out a hasty reply without stopping to consider the consequences. He wanted to kick himself. What would the others say? What would the lawyers say?

He looked over her words again. Have a nice life? How? He was sure he couldn't live with himself knowing he'd hurt his soulmate.

Ugh.

He quietly put his phone down on the nightstand next to the bed, careful not to wake BamBam who slept in the other bed in the room. He'd have to tell someone. He was shitty at keeping things from the others, especially Jaebum. He shuddered. Telling Jaebum would be the death of him. But, he owed Jaebum that much. Honesty was one of the things they valued and honored before reason. He shut his eyes and let out a quiet huff. Okay, so in the morning, he'd tell Jaebum. Then they'd go from there. Because now that he'd opened the channel for communication between them, she deserved the chance to chew him out. He knew she'd ask a ton of questions and he'd need help answering them without giving too much away.

Yeah. Things would be okay.

* * *

"You did _what_?" Jackson flinched as Jaebum's voice rang in his ears. Okay, so maybe things wouldn't be okay. "What were you thinking?"

"She was gonna take it back! Then I'd never meet her. Wasn't that the point of this whole thing? To look for our soulmate?" Jackson slouched down in the seat until his seat belt threatened to strangle him.

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and turned back around in his seat. "You're so fucking gullible. You read the contract. We're not allowed to contact them. That's literally the only stipulation. Don't open the app or fuck with the thing. Just wear it and hold hands." He dropped his voice, "That's why I said this whole thing is stupid."

Jaebum dragged a hand down his face. "I knew I should have made you room with me."

"Guys, chill out." BamBam looked up from his phone, patting Jackson's shoulder. "The solution is simple. We call the company, let them know that his SM synced with someone and he responded by mistake. They should be able to reset it, and it'll be like nothing ever happened."

A chill ran down Jackson's spine. His chest hurt at the thought of severing the link he'd discovered. But never mind him, what would it do to _her_? Her words implied stress and heartache from the lack of responses. How would she handle being reset? He was her soulmate, the only one she’d get in her lifetime. He couldn’t just leave her in the dark without reason. She deserved to know the truth.

“Jackson!” Jaebum shoved Jackson’s shoulder. “Aish, where’s your head? Listen to me.” He sat back against the seat. “No more messages. Okay? We’ll talk to our manager after the meet.” He turned toward the six other pairs of eyes on him. “So put it out of your minds for now. We focus on what’s immediately ahead of us. _Then_ we can chew him out.”

There were grumbles of agreement, but Jackson’s mind was already back on her. His soulmate. It’d be cowardly to just abandon her without giving her a proper explanation. Maybe he could persuade her to leave him first. Though his heart sunk down to his toes, he nodded to himself. It was the best, most honorable solution to the mess he’d created.

* * *

Jackson waited for the last person in line, a woman, to come to him. Keeping his SeoulMate tilted so that she couldn't see it, he held her clammy hands. "Ready...?"

"Sheila," she trembled, and he gave her hands a squeeze.

"Okay, Sheila." Jackson gave her an enthusiastic smile. "Count with me." They counted slowly to ten while the other members looked on with exaggerated looks of interest. When they reached zero, and neither device had made a sound, the crowd groaned with disappointment. Sheila squeezed her eyes shut as her face turned red. She wasn't the first to cry in front of him, and he hated that she wouldn't be the last. There were fifteen more cities to go with an expected 1,500 more fans to greet. To lie to.

Though he wore his biggest grin as they waited for stagehands to clear the stage for their last performance, inside he was a bundle of nerves and doubt. He had a plan and a shitty one at that. But he wasn't going to back out. His body went on autopilot as they danced to their song. The fans cheered and sang along, for which he was grateful. Though the higher-ups swore this whole campaign would bring the group more fans while simultaneously increasing the SeoulMate's profits, he worried it'd end badly.

With one last bow, the group filed offstage. They passed by the stagehands, turning over their mics and other equipment before heading to a room set aside for them. Their staff sprung into action, helping them clean up and change. Jackson's assigned stylist moved with purpose while the others chattered and joked around. With a quiet thanks, he slipped out of the room and went outside.

His fingers moved over the cold, smooth screen, pulling up the app. He didn't have much time, but it was now or never. He looked at _____'s profile picture, his thumb caressing her smile. He bit his bottom lip and hit the call button. She should be awake and off from work. As the line rang, a small smile curved his lips. He'd paid attention to when she sent messages. He wondered if she'd be impressed by that.

The ringing stopped, and a woman's voice cut through the silence, " _Hello?_ "

He sucked in air, not having thought about what he'd say. So he said the first thing that came to mind. "Never fear, your puppy's here!"

There was a beat of silence. " _I'm sorry?_ "

He smacked his palm to his forehead and groaned. "Sorry, I didn't think - I couldn't think of anything to say-"

" _Jackson?_ " There was rustling on the other end then what sounded like a door shutting. " _Wow, you called_."

He nodded then winced when it occurred to him that she couldn't see it. "I owe you an explanation. I'd rather do it in person, but I'm in Miami right now."

" _An apology._ " She deadpanned. His head ducked a little as he bit his lip, mulling his words over.

"Yes. I-I should have answered you sooner, but I didn't because I couldn't. I," he paused. If she knew about their promotions for the SeoulMate, she'd be able to figure out the situation if he said the wrong thing. "I'm working for the company."

" _Oh, like a tester or something?_ " He soaked up the awe in her voice, hearing it become soft around the edges as her anger melted a bit.

“Or something,” he agreed easily. “I wanted to respond. I read all of your messages. I read them over and over. I put my responses in a memo, wishing I could send them. When - When I saw your messages last night, I panicked. I didn’t want you to stop sending messages.”

“ _Even though you left me hanging, waiting on a response?_ ” Annoyance colored her words and the challenge in her tone made him suck in another gulp of air.

“______, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

She went silent. “ _You saved_ all _of your responses?_ ”

“Yes!” His face heated up and he shut his eyes. “I did.”

“ _Send them to me. I want to read them. All of them._ ” Her words were firm. He liked that. She wouldn’t make this easy for him. It pleased him because he felt like he owed her the world. It was a scary feeling. He pulled up his memo pad, copied the entire text, and pasted it into a message in the SeoulMates app. “ _That was quick._ ”

“Because I'm truthful.” There was a click somewhere behind him, and he ducked behind a nearby car, peeking over the trunk. No one stepped outside. The door didn’t budge. He hoped he was mistaken over and that no one was actually there. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“ _Wow,_ ” she breathed. “ _There’s so much. Most of them are demands that I take better care of myself, but yeah._ ”

“Because you should! You work so often and at odd hours. How can you sleep well when your schedule is all over the place? And the food,” he groaned. “That stuff isn’t healthy, but I guess it’s better than you not being able to eat at all. I want to talk to your manager. Breaks should be mandatory, not ‘if there’s time.’ You only get one body-”

“ _Are you seriously lecturing me right now?_ ” She asked, incredulous.

“Yes!” His voice echoed in the deserted parking lot. “Sorry. I just - I’m really passionate about being healthy and happy. That place doesn’t seem to help you in either of those areas.”

She went quiet again. “ _Thank you for caring, I think. Are you like this all the time, though?_ ”

He couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. “No. I’m also bursting with energy, so I like to move around.” He thought about how long their dance practices could run. “I work out, so my body looks good.” Maybe she’d appreciate that bit of information. “Wait - are you taller than five feet nine inches?”

“ _What? No, why?_ ”

“Oh, thank god.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Do you like tall men? Oh, wait. People. Do you like tall people? I won’t assume you’re straight.”

“ _I’m -_ ”

“No, no no no. I don’t want to invade your privacy like that. You can tell me when it comes up naturally. Forget I asked, okay?”

“ _Oh my god, Jackson._ ” She laughed. The sound made him grin wider as butterflies took flight in his chest. “ _Even your conversation is all over the place. It’s cute._ ”

“So is your laugh. I’d like to hear it more often.” He confessed. The second the words were out of his mouth, his teeth slammed down on his tongue, and he let out a little yelp of pain. He couldn’t hear her laugh more often. He was supposed to tell her why they couldn’t talk and wouldn’t talk again after this. But talking to her was effortless. Sure, he stumbled a little in the beginning, but she was open. Even if she hadn’t verbally forgiven yet for their rocky start, he could just feel that she wouldn’t cut him out. Even if he asked her to. Both of his hands curled around the phone protectively, as if doing so could shield her from what lay ahead. “Hey, _____, can I ask you something?”

“ _Hm? Sure,_ ” there was more rustling in her background. “ _What’s wrong?_ ”

“What - what do you think about soulmates?”

“ _In general, or our situation?_ ”

He bit his lip. “Both. No, no. Us. Wait, no. In general?”

She laughed again. “ _In general, I love the idea of having that special someone. I think the expectations being or having one has gotten out of control, but yeah. I like it. I’d like to have someone like that. I don’t know your situation, but I’m single. If you aren’t, I understand if you’d like to be friends. You’re really easy to get along with. Oh, well - I mean, if your love is okay with it._ ” She swallowed, and her voice changed a little. “ _If not, I don’t like being a home wrecker. Too much drama, y’know?_ ”

As she fumbled over her words, he wondered what she was doing right at that second. Was she pacing around? Gesturing with her hands? Did she bit her lip a lot, too? Damn, he wanted to see her. However, he knew if he did, there’d be no “reset.” In fact, the more he thought of it, the less he liked the idea. Not that he ever did. He was just less likely to commit to it. “Can I have your actual number?”

She stopped rambling to ask, “ _Um, sure. But can I ask why? The app is the best way to communicate, isn’t it?_ ”

He bit his lip and peeked at the door again, then lowered his voice, “It is, but they want to reset my SeoulMate. I don’t know if they will for sure. But if they do, I won’t have any of your info and won’t be able to contact you. They don’t want me to, but I really don’t want to let you go.” He paused then whispered, “I’ve waited my entire life for you. I wanna get to know you at least.”

There was a soft gasp before she spoke. “ _I’d-I’d love that. I was afraid - the way you phrased the question, I thought you didn’t - yes._ ” She recited numbers, and he quickly created a text message to send her. “ _I got it._ ”

The door to the building swung open, and Jaebum stepped out, eyes scanning the area. Jackson ducked back down just before Jaebum’s head swiveled in his direction. Jackson cursed under his breath and scuttled further away from the door. “Jackson!” he bellowed.

“Ah, shit.” Jackson cupped a hand to the phone and whispered, “_____, I’m really sorry, but I need to get back to work. I’ll try to call you again, if not I’ll text you. Is that okay?”

“ _Sure! That’s perfect_.” Her joy was tangible, even over the phone. It gave him an odd sense of satisfaction knowing he was the cause of it, a reverse of what he’d done before. “ _Thank you for calling. It means a lot to me._ ”

“Thank _you_ for hearing me out.”

“ _Bye, Jackson._ ”

He really didn’t want to say it. There was a real possibility this could be the only time he ever got to hear her voice. “Bye, _____.” The second the call disconnected, Jaebum came around the car.

“What are you doing?” He sounded as pissed as he looked. Jackson hesitated a second too long. “Did you send another message?” Jackson looked away, down at his feet with a pout. He would never lie to Jaebum, but he wouldn’t just give up his soulmate. Geez. Just one conversation with her and it already felt like it was them versus the world. The intensity of his desire to protect their possible bond friendship relationship whatever the fuck was scary. Crazy even. Was it a soulmate thing? Jaebum hit Jackson’s shoulder. “Answer me.”

Jackson hung his head. “No.”

Jaebum let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t do that. You scared-”

“I called her.”

Jaebum froze for a second then snatched off his hat and smacked the back of Jackson’s head with it. Jackson flinched but didn’t try to shield himself. He deserved it. “YAH! Why? Why would you do that when I just told you to not even send messages? Do you _want_ to get in trouble? Get us _all_ in trouble?”

“I just wanted to explain-”

“Explain? Yes, go in there and explain to the others why we’ll all have to pay back the advance we got for this contract. Why we’ll all have to pay legal fees for court because the company _will_ sue us for breach of contract. Did you not see how much we’re liable for if even one of us screws this up? A fucking _billion_ won, Jackson!” Jaebum shoved his hands through his hair and turned away to take a calming breath but ended up groaning out loud and pulling his hair hard enough to hurt. “I’d expect this level of selfishness from Yugyeom or BamBam, but not you.”

“Hyung, please hear me out-”

“For fuck’s sake, we only have fifteen more stops! Why couldn’t you wait until after we were done?”

“She was gonna cut me off!” Jackson had to yell over Jaebum, and he hated to do it. It was disrespectful, and Jackson had nothing but love and respect for their leader. Jaebum’s eyes widened then blinked rapidly. Jackson stood up and began talking fast. “This whole thing may be just a paycheck to everyone else, but I care about what we’re doing to people. These things,” Jackson pointed to his wrist, “aren’t cheap! Our fans are spending their hard earned money - the price of _two_ concert tickets - for a chance to meet us and see if we’re their soulmate. A chance that doesn’t even really exist! Because one,” Jackson counted off on his fingers, “the odds are not in their favor when the database has almost a million users. Two, even if we are their soulmate, we can’t talk to or date them. And three, resetting their device is on the table now, so it’s like we don’t exist for each other. Do you think they’d buy this thing if they knew it was a loss on their part? Do you think they’d still support us?”

Jaebum’s head tipped back and his eyes closed.

“I may not be able to do right by and be honest to our fans,” Jackson continued, “but I refuse to lie to and hurt my soulmate. I’m the only one she’s getting in this lifetime! Of all the possible people in this world, I’m her soulmate. She’s been sending messages for _weeks_ , hyung. Just wanting to say hi, to get to know me. Why is that so wrong? Why can’t I give her that much?”

“Jackson, you-”

“I called her to explain myself. Because she deserves that much. She should know why her soulmate won’t talk to her. Why she’ll never meet this mystery person. Why she won’t get the happy ending everyone is getting. I know I went against your words, and I apologize that I had to.” Jackson looked Jaebum in the eyes. “But I’d do it again. And again. And again. I know I can be a little too trusting. I know I take unnecessary risks when it comes to people. But I’m not gonna be afraid to keep trying. ‘In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.’” Jackson moved to Jaebum’s side but didn’t turn towards him. “I’ll let them reset my SeoulMate if they want to, but if it syncs with her again, I won’t ignore her.”

* * *

Two days later, they were in Toronto. The meet had gone smoothly, ending with tears and sighs of disappointments. Jackson had been on edge, waking up each day with apprehension knowing that it’d be the day they’d try to take his soulmate away. He’d gone so far as to memorize her number just in case they decided to wipe his phone as well. Jaebum still seemed pissed but hadn’t stopped talking to him. It was a good sign. Maybe his words had gotten through to Jaebum. Maybe.

After a few hours of sight-seeing, the group went back to their hotel and ordered room service. They goofed around until Mark suggested they head to bed. They had an early flight to Chicago with another SeoulMate promo just before lunch.

Almost an hour later, Jackson was in bed, staring at the ceiling. Yugyeom’s snores punctuated the soft hum of the air conditioner, drawing Jackson’s attention for a bit. Though he hadn’t been able to call her, they had fantastic conversations by text message. She had a great sense of humor. Or, if she found any of his attempts to be funny bad, she didn’t let on. He liked that about her. She was kind and considerate, knew how to take a joke and occasionally dish it out. She didn’t mind his flirty nature either. And when he was serious, she wasn’t put off or concerned. In fact, he was as comfortable with her as he was with the guys.

He wondered what she looked like when she slept. Did she snore? Though it was late, she could’ve been awake. He wanted to call her. He had the opportunity. Yugyeom slept like the dead, so there was a reasonable amount of privacy. He picked up his iPhone from the night stand between the hotel beds and tapped the numbers.

The phone rang four times before her soft voice filled his ear. “ _Hello?_ ”

“Hi, _____.” He glanced at Yugyeom before rolling over to face the windows. He could see the night sky through a sliver of space between the curtains. They were high enough that the lights below didn’t disrupt his view of the stars. “I’m sorry I took so long to call you back. And for calling so late. I wanted to catch you before you went to sleep.”

“ _How did you know I was in bed?_ ” Fabric rustled as she got comfortable. “ _You’re not spying on me are you?_ ”

His cheeks burned, and he shut his eyes tight. “I, uh, I paid attention to the times of your messages. The last ones come about this hour.”

“ _But you said you’re traveling._ ” Her teasing tone gave way to one of curiosity. “ _Wouldn’t the change in time zone throw you off?_ ”

“I use a converter to figure out the time.” His hand toyed with his hair. It was the truth. He’d wanted to be able to read her messages as soon as they were sent, so he’d had to figure out her time zone. He’d had to make sure that the others wouldn’t hear the notifications and ask questions, especially their managers.

“ _You know, I gotta admire your level of dedication._ ” She sounded impressed. “ _It almost makes up for everything else.”_

“So, I did a good job? It’s okay?” He bit his lip. If he wanted to keep his talks with her a secret, he’d have to break the habit.

“ _Of course! It’s flattering and shows you care._ ” Her words chased away his worries of coming off too eager. “ _So you were in Florida the last time we spoke. Where in the world is Jackson now?_ ”

“Canada.” He answered promptly. “But I’ll be back in the States tomorrow.”

“ _It must be nice to travel. I’ve never been outside of Texas._ ” He didn’t miss the longing in her words. He traveled so much now, it’d lost the sense of wonder and adventure it used to give him. She’d enjoy traveling with them. Wait. She said-

“Texas?” Jackson sat up. “You live in Texas. I’ll be in Texas for the weekend.”

“ _Really? Which city?_ ”

“Dallas.”

“ _Get. Out. I live in Dallas!_ ” Her excitement was contagious.

His heart skipped a beat. Destiny had a funny way of working out sometimes. “Can we meet up somewhere? I know it’s sudden, but I don’t know if another chance like this will happen in the future.”

“ _Oh, it’s - I mean - I’d like to meet you, but I didn’t think it’d be so soon. You seem nice enough-_ ”

“Okay, okay.” So much for not coming off too eager. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “We can come back to this. We have a few days.”

She chuckled and said, “ _Thank you, Jackson. You’re really sweet._ ”

“I’ve heard that a lot before, but it never meant as much as it does now.”

“ _Like, cavity-inducing sweet._ ”

He covered his mouth and laughed, not wanting to wake Yugyeom. “Is it too much? I can stop if it’s too much.”

“ _No, no. I-I like it. It feels real, y’know? Like I can tell you’re not trying too hard. This isn’t a front or anything, but the real you. So I don’t mind. Anyone else, I might shut them down, but you? You’re good_.” She let out a dreamy sigh. “ _I’m sleepy now._ ”

“Hm, you should go to sleep. I don’t want to let you go, but I have an early morning anyway.” Jackson pouted.

“ _If you didn’t have to get up, what would you do?_ ”

“Stay on the phone with you until we both fell asleep.”

“ _Do you know how high the phone bill would be? I’d go into debt, Jackson._ ”

“I’d pay the bill for you.” He was serious, and she hoped she realized that.

“ _I wouldn’t let you._ ” She countered, “ _If I talk until I fall asleep, then it’s worth it. I don’t do that often_.”

“That’s best friend stuff.” Jackson smiled at the thought. “Best friends stay on the phone for hours then struggle to pay the bill together.”

She laughed, “ _True. So we’re best friends now?_ ”

“Are you kidding me? I’d give you a kidney if you needed it.” He flopped back on the bed. “At the rate you’re going, you might need it. I’ll keep it on reserve, just in case. Drink more water, please.”

“ _Oh, no-_ ”

“I’m serious, _____! And eat more fruits and vegetables.” He hated to nag her, but her health mattered that much to him. He knew from experience a happy body contributed to a healthy mind. With the stress of work, he wanted her to be as happy as she could be. “Please?”

“ _If it matters that much to you, I’ll try to eat better. More water and fruits and veggies._ ”

“Then I’ll introduce you to organic foods.”

“ _Jackson!_ ”

“Okay, okay. We’ll take it slow. Month by month.”

“ _Thank you. And I’ll think about meeting up when you come to Dallas._ ”

“What do you want in exchange?”

“ _What do you mean?_ ”

“You’re doing those things for me. I wanna do something for you. Balance, you know? I don’t want to scare you off with nutrition and health lectures.”

“ _Well, meeting you would be for me as much as it is for you._ ”

“Okay, but the healthy stuff?”

“ _Um,_ ” she paused, and he waited. “ _Can you send me a picture of you? I noticed you don’t have a profile pic for the app. I’d… I want to know what my soulmate looks like._ ”

Jackson froze at her words. They weren’t allowed to update their profiles, so he hadn’t bothered. He was more than willing to send her a picture. There were tons of selfies in his camera reel. But would she recognize him? She hadn’t mentioned being a fan of Kpop. But if he wanted to meet her, he’d have to let the cat out of the bag at some point. Was it lying if he kept it from her? Would she be upset? “Okay, gimme a second.” He scrolled through the pictures and settled for one he’d taken when they were in Buenos Aires last month. It was well lit and taken before he’d been attacked by makeup artists and stylists. It was closest to how he looked at the moment. He held his breath as he sent the image to her.

There was a brief silence before he heard rustling on her end. “ _Ooh! I got it._ ” Another pause. “ _Oh, wow. You weren’t kidding about working out._ ”

“You thought I wasn't honest?” he asked, half amused and hurt.

“ _I mean, well yeah. You know guys like to brag. Or at least the ones I’m usually around do. For them, going to the gym means maybe ten reps with weights then granny walking on a treadmill for five minutes before passing out in a bowl of nachos._ ”

“Please cease contact with anyone who does that,” he said with a straight face, voice devoid of emotion.

She laughed hard, bringing a smile to his face again. “ _Okay, goodnight Jackson._ ”

“I’m serious! I can’t coach you to health if you’re exposed to people who drown in cheese. Please. That’s a terrible - if not terrifying - influence on you. If they try to talk you, sprinkle coconut water on them and run away in the name of clear skin.”

He swore he heard her snort in between giggles. “ _Goodnight, Jackson!”_

He sighed and lowered his voice, “Goodnight, _____.”

Jackson held the phone to his ear until the phone beeped signaling the end of the call. He rolled over onto his back with a goofy grin on his face. He finally felt tired and closed his eyes, ready to embrace sleep.

Then Yugyeom broke the silence in the room, “Oh, how I hope you’re prepared to buy my silence.”


	3. Have Courage

True to his word, Jackson didn't bring up the meet until that Friday. There had been a shift in schedules at work so you had the day off. When he texted you the invite and location, you’d been a little worried.

“_____, just go." Mama put the plate she'd been scrubbing back in the sink and turned to you with her hands on her hips. "It's a public place."

"But it's also fancy!" you huffed. Sometimes it was hard being the daughter of an idealist. "I checked the price for booking a conference room. Jackson travels, but he didn't mention making a lot of money. How can he - or whoever he's with - afford to pay the rental fee? Something doesn't add up."

Mama scrunched up her face then let out an annoyed sigh. "Girl, you're over thinking this."

You shook your head and got up, carrying your empty plate over. "Mama, you're supposed to be suspicious and talking me out of this. Jackson's nice, but I still have to be careful."

“Maybe, but this guy is your soulmate. What if this is the only chance you get to meet him? Are you really gonna throw it away?" She leaned over and looked you in the eyes. "Really?"

You closed your eyes, unable to withstand the weight of her gaze. "I just - Okay, I'm scared. What if he doesn't like what he sees? What if he changes his mind and goes back to ignoring me? What if he isn't who he says he is? I..." You looked down at your hands and realized you were peeling the polish off again. Dammit. You’d worked hard to make it look professional. "I really like him. He's a great listener and funny and smart and cute. I don't want to lose his friendship."

“_____,” Mama tutted, dried her hands on a dish towel, then reached for your face. The scent of clean citrus enveloped you as her thumbs stroked your cheeks. "Baby, there are times when you have to take a leap of faith. You have to have the courage to do something new. Any other time, I’d be on the same page as you. Trying to talk you out of it. But this? It’s worth a shot. I’m willing to bet Jackson is worth the risk.”

You met her eyes. “What if you're wrong?"

"What if I'm _right_?" She countered. In addition to being optimistic, Mama was the wisest person you knew. An old soul who had moments that bordered on premonition. Her intuition was hardly ever wrong. In your heart, you knew she was right. Jackson worked hard to keep in touch after your first phone call. He'd been consistent. Seeing that she was serious about you giving Jackson a chance, you gave in.

"Okay. Fine. I'll go but if anything happens to me, I want compensation with dessert." You pouted. She let you go with a peal of laughter and pointed at you as she backed away, returning to the sink.

"Deal." She grinned as she clapped her hands and wiggled her hips. “Now go put on something cute!"

You rolled your eyes and left the kitchen.

Something cute? You yanked tops and bottoms out of your closet, assembling and rearranging them to create something you thought Jackson might see as cute. As you held up a floral top to your body in the mirror behind your bedroom door, you realized something. Why were you trying to impress him? He wouldn't care about how you looked. He just wanted you to show up. You could be yourself around him. You put most of the clothes back in the closet and dresser, opting for a simple t-shirt and jeans combo with your favorite pair of shoes. You dressed to impress yourself and had a feeling he’d be impressed with that. You fussed with your hair and did your basic makeup routine. In the end, you liked how you looked.

After grabbing your purse and keys, you poked your head into the kitchen. "Bye, Ma. I'm heading out."

She turned around, saw your outfit and grinned. "He's gonna love it."

" _Bye, Ma_." You fought a smile and left.

* * *

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center was beautiful. Then again, a lot of the buildings in Downtown Dallas were. It was right around the corner from the Omni Hotel, a building laced with LED lights that lit up the skyline at night. As pretty as it was, parking was a bitch. Every parking garage within two miles of the convention center was filled. People were walking for nearly a mile just to get back to the building.

Luckily, you’d checked out the other events the center was hosting and opted to take the train and a bus. Altogether, it probably cost the same as parking, but you didn’t have to worry about your car getting stolen or broken into. You slipped on the lanyard Jackson had sent you in the mail. VIP. The badge was about the same size as your little android phone. It even had Jackson’s signature on it.

You got through security and was directed to one of the ballrooms. The lobby was buzzing with activity. The crowd was mostly female, all milling around waiting for the event to begin. It dawned on you that you hadn’t asked why he’d be at a convention center when he was just testing a product. There banners all over the place, advertising some boy band from overseas. Uneasiness settled in the pit of your stomach as you pushed through the crowd to the closed doors that matched the number on your badge.

He wouldn’t toy with you. Would he?

One of the banners caught your eyes as it had the guys of the group on it. One face stood out from the others because you’d seen it a few times before. _No fucking way._ He’d never said anything about being a celebrity. That’s something a person would brag about, not hide. Had it all been a lie? Was this why he avoided video calls? Did he really catfish you?

_‘I’ve waited my entire life for you.’_

Something told you he’d meant that even if everything else could have been a lie. Jackson had to be the most sincere person you’d ever talked to. So why was his face on a banner? Why were there hundreds of people waiting to meet him?

Maybe he’d been worried you wouldn’t like the way he looked. Did you ever give him the impression you cared about looks that much? But then, why did he want to meet up? Did he have a really convincing reason for lying? You frowned. He'd _better_ have a good reason. Despite how bad the situation looked, you wanted to meet the guy the voice belonged to, see the face behind the words you got through text messages.

You took a deep breath and stepped up to the doors. Two men dressed in black held their arms up to stop you, and you pulled the badge out. You didn’t know what to say, but you didn’t have to speak. One of the guys lifted the badge up to his face, reading Jackson’s signature. “Oh, it’s you.” He smirked and nodded to his partner who lowered his arm and opened one of the doors enough for you to pass through. The one holding your badge nodded his head in the direction of the door. “You’re good.”

“Thank you.” You nodded your head in thanks and passed through the door, into a new world.

The room wasn’t as big as the lobby, but still larger than you’d expected. Chairs were lined up in rows around a stage that lined one of the walls. The stage itself was a wonder. LED lights illuminated it in various hues. Another large banner served as the backdrop to the tables and chairs lined up in a row. The Jackson you’d pictured sending you messages and calling you stared back at you with a smile you’d only imagined seeing until now. Except it couldn’t be him. Disappointment washed over you again. He didn’t have to lie. You’d make sure he knew that.

A door opened to the left of the stage and a guy with dark hair walked in. One of the other faces on the banner. Maybe he could clear things up. You opened your mouth to call out to him, but his glare stole your breath away. Another guy stepped in behind him and angry pants turned to him. They spoke rapidly in a language you didn’t recognize. Whatever they were saying, it wasn’t happy. Angry pants turned back to you and said, “Why did they let you in? No one’s allowed in yet.”

You held up your badge. “I was invited.”

He eyed the badge but didn’t come closer to inspect it. “No one invited you. You’re just saying that. I bet you stole that from the staff.” He turned to the other guy and spoke in their language. He gestured at you a few times, and you got the impression he wanted his friend to back him up. Your eyes met. He looked awkward, somewhere between upset and sad. Yet, he said nothing. He merely watched you with his cat-like eyes. What a great help he was.

“Look,” you said holding your hands up in surrender. “Even I’m unsure about this, but I got a badge in the mail. It’s signed by Jackson. The security guys even recognized it and let me in.”

“You must have paid them off. You _saesangs_ are shameless. Don’t you have a job? Something better to do than pester us like this?” Angry pants hissed.

“Jinyoung-” Kitty eyes put a hand on his friend’s shoulder but was shrugged off.

“You have the wrong impression of me,” you took a step forward, and he took a step back. Fear flickered across his face before a hard sneer settled in its place. “I don’t even know who you are. Honest. I may have misunderstood you, but I’m not a fan much less a crazy one. I’m calm right now, right? Not screaming and freaking out. I just want to figure out who and where Jackson is.”

“Jackson?” Recognition dawned on their faces, but they didn’t care to share the knowledge with you. Of course, they wouldn’t.

“Yes. Him. I’ve said his name a few times now. So where is he?” You looked behind them at the door they’d come through. “He has some explaining to do.”

“You’re wasting your time.” Jinyoung looked you in the eyes. “You won’t get anything from him. He made a mistake in reaching out to you and now you’re here trying to profit from it. Leave Jackson alone.”

“What?” You blinked a few times as his words sunk in. You went out of your way to grant Jackson this wish and you were beginning to feel like you shouldn’t have bothered. You should have told him to shove it when he first called. But, no. You had to be all forgiving and kind and shit. And where did that get you? Nowhere. You only wanted to meet your soulmate. You didn’t expect much more than that. You didn’t deserve the accusations and fucking attitude.

So, you snapped.

“Okay, you know what? Fuck you.” His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “Fuck you and the high horse you rode in on. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. So don’t assume you know what I want. I wouldn’t give a fuck if he was the richest man on Earth or homeless with two cents to his fucking name. I came here for _Jackson,_ whoever the fuck that may be. Whoever calls me at night to let me rant about my day. The guy who lectures me for eating shitty fast food and wants me to drink gallons of water like I’m the little fucking mermaid. Okay? So shove all of that crazy gold-digging fan shit up yours and use the weight to float back down to Earth.” You spun on your heel, pulling the lanyard from around your neck and tossing it on the ground as you headed for the door. “Fucking asshole.”

And you made sure the door slammed shut behind you.


End file.
